Cross My Heart
by MadAuntieKeith
Summary: Romantic, possibly slightly bordering on smutty Valdangelo- Leo reminisces about his first kiss with Nico and struggles with his feelings, scared to admit how deeply his feelings run. He can only hope that Ghost King feels the same way... (This is rated as a T for now since there's no actual sex/swearing, but if anyone seriously thinks it should be an M please let me know!) Enjoy!


**Hey, hey, I'm back! Did'ja miss me?**

**...Nah, I thought not.**

**Anyhoo, I'm back from a serious attack of writer's block with what is probably the closest thing to smut I shall ever write! Well, put it this way, isn't the closest I can physically come to writing about sexytimes without getting embarrassed, struggling with the wording and throwing my computer at the wall in frustration. Soooo, it's pretty OTT and maybe _slightly_ cheesy, but it's sexy fluff so who cares? XD**

**Hope you enjoy! :D**

**Once again, DON'T own the characters! We have Rick Riordan to thank for these lovelies :3**

**Cross My Heart**

Leo never forgot the first time he kissed Nico. The cold tingle that hung on his lips, the taste of him that lingered in his mouth. The strangest combination of exotic flavours that Leo still couldn't quite put his finger on. He longed to taste it again- and to his delight, the son of Hades obliged.

They'd shared the first of many kisses away from the others, bathed in the glowing heat of the Bunker Nine forges, blushing and fumbling in the flickering light. Leo still remembered the exquisite feeling of cold that seeped into his body wherever their skin touched. He'd never truly been cold before. He basked in it, letting it override his senses as they shared embarrassed laughter, their cheeks red and their hands shaking as their one kiss became two. Then three. On and on until they lost count. Smiling and laughing against each others mouths as they grew in confidence with each kiss.

That night, nothing else had mattered. They'd walked back to camp hand in hand, too giddy to pay attention to the looks other campers gave them. Leo felt like he was floating, like if he let go of Nico's hand he'd just drift into the sky, above the clouds and far away. Fortunately, Nico didn't let go.

They were happy. They joked and laughed, they teased and mocked each other relentlessly, and Nico laughed as Leo spouted bad puns and lame pick-up lines that would've made most people groan. He found out pretty quickly that Nico wasn't like most people.

It was awkward for a while. It took a long time to become truly comfortable with one another, comfortable enough to hold hands or share fleeting kisses when they were with their friends. But they were getting there, and as they grew closer their passion seemed to grow- the chaste kisses they shared as the sun went down deepened, sparks crackling at the contact as they started to pull each other closer.

Before he knew it, Leo found himself craving the cold boy's touch, each kiss more fervent than the last.

Before he knew it, he was in love.

A part of him wanted to talk about it- to tell Nico, to tell his friends, to scream it from the rooftops; _I am in love with Nico di Angelo! _

Weeks and months went past; their time together growing more intimate with each passing day and each passionate kiss, but still Leo said nothing.

He was afraid.

He didn't know what he would do if Nico didn't feel the same. If he rejected him, pushed him away, left him for good.

He chose blissful ignorance. He would rather live in the sweet oblivion of Nico's embrace than risk destroying what they had, whatever _it_ was. He promised himself he would never tell.

He promised.

One night he lay awake and gazed at his lover on the other side of the bed. Nico's eyes were closed, his dark lashes fluttering as he dreamed. His raven hair fell in delicate waves across his face and curled against his pale neck. His narrow chest rose and fell gently and his breath whispered from between his soft lips. Leo's eyes traveled over the curve of his shoulder, the dip in his neck and the sweep of his collarbones, the subtle definition in his lithe arms. He focused individually on every detail; his long, delicate fingers, the faint impressions of his ribs against his skin, his slender waist and the slightest curvature of his hip.

He was beautiful.

His pale eyelids flickered open, and Leo found himself staring into eyes darker than Tartarus itself. Beautiful eyes, sparkling in the silver glow of the moon through the window. The younger boy's lips curled into a silky smile, his gleaming eyes regarded Leo with a languid fondness that made his heart flutter.

"What're you still doing awake?" he mumbled, his drowsy voice low and smooth as velvet.

Leo had promised himself he wouldn't tell.

_Cross my heart, and hope to die._

"I think I'm in love with you…" he murmured, meeting his tired gaze tenderly.

He heard Nico's breath catch. His heavy eyelids flickered open fully and a pink tinge spread across his marble cheeks.

Leo felt his heart freeze in his chest. The fear gripped him again, roiling in his stomach as he watched Nico's shocked face intently. He wanted to clamp his hands over his ears and run before the pale boy had a chance to speak- just leave and pretend nothing had happened. But he felt himself pinned to spot, every muscle in his body too tensed to move, nothing to do but wait.

Nico's wide eyes flicked away from Leo's, down towards his chest as his blush deepened. He chewed his bottom lip nervously, his restless gaze fluttering from place to place in his anxiety. Leo felt his heart skip as he watched his face- his expression was almost unbelievably enticing, the lip bite alone made him want to lunge forward and kiss him. But still he couldn't move, holding his breath in anticipation.

He flinched as he felt cold fingers intertwine with his own. He closed his eyes and sighed as Nico's stammering voice washed over him.

"I… I think, maybe… I…"

Leo opened his eyes and turned his head to the stuttering boy, scarcely daring to hope. A slow smile spread across his face as he looked at Nico. The son of Hades' eyes were closed, his cheeks were red as poppies and his face was turned into the pillow in embarrassment. He wasn't the type of guy who usually expressed his feelings.

Leo reached a hand over and gently stroked Nico's cheek, brushing a wave of ebony hair away from his forehead. His shadowy eyes opened slowly, looking up at Leo through his flickering eyelashes.

With that one look, Leo lost it. He leapt forward and pressed his hot lips against Nico's, trembling exultantly as the first icy touch spread through his skin. He couldn't help moaning slightly as Nico opened his mouth, his cold tongue dancing over his lips delicately, experimentally. Leo looped his arm around the slender boy's waist, pulling him close until his cool chest was pressed against his own and he could feel his heartbeat against his feverish skin. Nico's slim fingers danced lightly up Leo's spine, sending feathery chills across his flesh and making him gasp with pleasure. He returned the favour, his calloused hands sliding down Nico's torso and his burning fingertips tracing small circles on his sides, teasing the sensitive skin on his waist. He couldn't help the smug smile that spread across his face as he felt the cold boy shiver against the contact, and he felt him bury his face in his shoulder and bite softly on his neck to stop himself from whimpering. Leo grinned and rolled Nico over onto his back, straddling him and pinning his wrists above his head.

"Has anyone ever told you…" he said seductively, his confidence growing as he kissed Nico's shoulder lovingly. "How adorable, gorgeous, sexy, amazing and perfect you are?" he said softly, murmuring it against his skin as he punctuated each word with a kiss, working his way up from his collarbone to his jaw.

The Ghost King gasped as Leo's lips smoldered against his skin. His eyes closed, his fists clenched, he bit his lip and tilted his head back in rapture. His expression alone was enough to drive Leo crazy. He swooped down, retracing his kisses with gentle bites, leaving faint marks and running his tongue over each blemish as he went. Nico yelped and trembled with each nibble, his back arched and his hips ground against Leo's, making them gasp in unison.

Leo trapped both of Nico's wrists under one hand and slid the other down his body, his fingers skimming down to his waist and across his abdomen, tracing the sensitive skin below his navel with a feathery touch. The pale boy moaned impatiently, once again thrusting his hips upwards, slamming against Leo's with all the force he could muster. Leo released his wrists, sliding both of his hands down past his waist, across his hipbones and coming to rest behind his lean thighs. As soon as his hands were free Nico reached up and gripped the Latino's shoulder blades, pulling him close and nuzzling his face into his neck to muffle his moans as their bodies clashed. He felt Leo's warm fingers tugging at the waistband of his shorts and sighed longingly.

"I love you," he breathed against his skin, the words that he'd struggled with for so long slipping out effortlessly as the mechanic's caring touch broke through the defenses it had taken years to form.

Leo felt his stomach flutter and a weight lift from his chest as Nico's words tingled against his skin like glacial mist. It flooded his mind, dispelling the shadows and uncertainty until he felt the world fall into place with perfect clarity.

"I love you, too…" he murmured.

Nico closed his eyes, his head falling back against the pillow and his hands dropping to his sides. His eyelids flickered open slowly and he looked up at Leo, the moonlight streaming through the window and illuminating his porcelain skin, glittering in his eyes. Eyes darker than space and deeper than the sea, shining with doubt.

"Are you sure?"

Leo was taken aback by how fragile his voice sounded. He gazed down at the Ghost King, radiant in the moonlight, his eyes gleaming and his arms spread, glowing like an angel in the night. Perfect.

It was so easy to forget how broken he was.

Leo leaned down, pressing a gentle, reverent kiss on Nico's lips. He smiled and rested against his forehead, meeting the son of Hades' sad eyes with a loving gaze.

"Cross my heart."

**Yay, Valdangelo cuteness! :3 _Sexy_ cuteness, what more could you want?**

**I'm gonna try and write more soon, but there's a chance I might start on a longer, more depressing/gritty Valdangelo fic soon because I'm thinking part of my writer's block problem is I'm kind of getting pigeon-holed as a fluff writer, but I'll see what happens! XD**

**See you next time! :D x**


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